Michele Scarponi has been suspended by Lampre-ISD for visiting banned doctor Michele Ferrari.
Scarponi, who won the 2011 Giro d’Italia after Alberto Contador was stripped on the title, admitted working with the disgraced doctor in 2010, prior to joining Lampre-ISD.
The 33-year-old, who was previously banned for 18 months in 2007 for his involvement in Operacion Puerto, denies doping and says he visited Ferrari to conduct a sports test.
“In relation to events in a period when Scarponi was not at Lampre and awaiting further developments, the team doctor has suspended the rider for violation of the internal code of the team,” team spokesman Andrea Appiani told Reuters.
“We await the decisions of the competent authorities and underline that all the issues refer to a period when Scarponi did not ride for Lampre.”
Earlier this year Ferrari was banned for working in professional sports for life by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Ferrari is said to have masterminded Lance Armstrong’s doping programme and Scarponi could face a suspension of between three to six months for working with the Italian.
Filippo Pozzato served a three-month ban from June to September this year after admitting to receiving training programmes from Ferrari from 2005 to 2009.
